ITINERARY

Day 1: Arrive & Relax
You'll get your first taste of Costa Rica as soon as you step off the plane at the Liberia International Airport. We'll drive past the village of La Fortuna and on to our hotel situated near Arenal Volcano. Tonight you'll spend an unforgettable couple of hours relaxing and getting to know the group at the natural hot springs, followed by dinner. We'll stay in a relaxing mountain resort nestled in lush gardens, where every room offers amazing views of the volcano.

No riding on this day.
Drive time from airport: 25 mins
Accommodation: Mountain Resort
Meals: Dinner

Day 2: Bike the Shores of Arenal
Today we'll take a spectacular ride along deserted trails on the southern shore of majestic Lake Arenal. We'll start with an easy ride on a wide, hard-packed dirt/gravel road at the foot of Arenal Volcano National Park. After 17 km of long, flat stretches and a few short, easy climbs, we'll cross the Cano Negro river (there are no bridges in this remote part of the park so we'll need to wade). From here we'll ride 15-20 km on an abandoned dirt road that's been taken over by vegetation. Crossing ten different creeks and negotiating several muddy spots, this ride is quite an adventure but the terrain is undulating with only short climbs, and the views of the lake are spectacular. At the end of the ride we'll reach our first sign of civilization, a small restaurant where we`ll enjoy a refreshing drink and some lunch. After lunch, we'll cross Arenal Lake by boat. The boat ride is slow and offers excellent birdwatching and gorgeous volcano views. We’ll cruise right up to our accommodation, a lovely boutique rainforest lodge with stunning views of Arenal.

Distance: 37 km/23 miles
Climbing: 350 meters
Descending: 375 meters
Drive time: 10 mins
Accommodation: Rainforest lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 3: Bike to Cañas
As we descend from the rainforest into the low-lying dry forest of Guanacaste province, we'll experience a huge change in climate and scenery, riding from the lush, Costa Rican jungle to the drier farmland of the Pacific slope. Today we'll ride some technical downhill sections, followed by a rapid descent on dirt roads that offer plenty of curves. We'll end today’s ride at a hotel on a working hacienda near Cañas. As you stroll the grounds of the hotel or relax by the pool you’ll see iguanas, deer, birds and butterflies.

Distance: 37 km/23 miles
Climbing: 780 meters
Descending: 1330 meters
Drive time: 30 mins
Accommodation: Colonial style rooms in a working hacienda
Meals: Breakfast

Day 4: Biking & River Safari
The water from Lake Arenal is used to irrigate the farmland in Guanacaste through a vast network of canals and rivers. In this hot and dry land the canals are shaded by lines of trees and patches of forest that give the landscape its unique look. Today’s is a fast ride through sugarcane plantations and rice fields combined with patches of forest. We’ll end our ride with a picnic lunch on the bank of the Bebedero River. After lunch we’ll board a boat for a spectacular river safari where we may see water birds, monkeys, iguanas and crocodiles. At the end of our river trip we’ll jump in the van and drive across the Nicoya Peninsula to the tiny town of Nosara and its undiscovered yet expansive beach of Playa Guiones. Accommodations for the next two nights are at a beautiful resort and spa nestled in the jungle just 1km from the beach.

Distance: 29 km/18 miles
Climbing: 0 meters
Descending: 21 meters
Drive time: 1.5 hour
Accommodation: Luxury resort hotel
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 5: Coastal Biking
We've saved one of the most beautiful rides for the end! This rugged, almost deserted stretch of Pacific coast represents wildlife uninterrupted. Most tourist maps have yet to chart the course you will bike, and there are few hotels to impede the spectacular views. Our ride will start with a 7 km ride on small dirt roads that pass through small farms and dry forest. We continue along a deserted stretch of coastline passing tiny villages and simple houses until we get to the hard-packed sand of Samara Beach. Our ride ends at gorgeous, palm-lined Carrillo Beach where we’ll revel in the secluded beauty and enjoy a well deserved picnic lunch. The ride includes some fun downhill and some uphill stretches. You can choose to bike back to the hotel or hitch a ride in the van. After a full day of biking, we'll celebrate the end of our Costa Rican mountain bike tour with cold drinks and an optional seafood dinner.

Distance: 36 km/23 miles
Climbing: 275 meters
Descending: 275 meters
Drive time: N/A
Accommodation: Luxury resort hotel
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 6: Trip Ends
Our Costa Rica mountain bike tour will conclude with a final breakfast on the coast. Afterward, we'll drive you to Liberia Airport to catch your flight home.

Drive time to airport: 2 hours
Meals: Breakfast

Please note: This itinerary is designed to give you an idea of what to expect during our trip but it is not set in stone. What we actually do on a given day is flexible and is tailored to weather conditions and the interests and abilities of the group.